by John Milton
4 John the Baptist.
5 Satan.
6 Gen. iii. 15: “And I will put enmity between thee [the serpent] and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head.…”
7 holds.
8 unknowing.
9 attendance.
10 Gabriel, angel of comfort, heralded the coming of the Messiah (Dan. viii. 23–25, ix. 25–27), and made the annunciation to Mary (Luke i. 26–38).
11 The first principles of the Son’s warfare constitute faith and obedience, to which are later added works (see PL XII, 427); these counter, respectively, the “two main arms” of Satan’s warfare, Sin and Death.
12 regarded with wonder.
13 See Luke ii. 25–38.
14 reflected upon.
15 Rev. xxii. 16: “I am … the bright and morning star.”
16 snake.
17 Exod. xxiv. 18.
18 1 Kings xix. 8.
19 always alert (literally, “not closing its eyes”).
20 1 Kings xxii. 19–23.
21 attentive.
22 referring to 1 Kings xxii. 6: “Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men.”
23 In “Food-Word Imagery in PR,” English Literary History, XXVIII (1961), 225–43, Lee S. Cox shows that this metaphoric development marks a new stage of temptation in each book. The poem defines the nature of the Word Incarnate and, as here, the nature of Satan’s word.
24 presiding, occupying authoritative position.
25 submissive.
26 Though pressed by the king of Moab, Balaam could not curse the Israelites, for the Lord had imposed on him the words to speak (Num. xxiii).
BOOK II
Mean while the new-baptiz’d, who yet remain’d
At Jordan with the Baptist, and had seen
Him whom they heard so late expresly call’d
Jesus Messiah, Son of God declar’d,
5
And on that high Authority had believ’d,
And with him talkt, and with him lodg’d, I mean
Andrew and Simon, famous after known
With others though in Holy Writ not nam’d,
Now missing him thir joy so lately found,
10
So lately found, and so abruptly gone,
Began to doubt, and doubted many days,
And as the days increas’d, increas’d thir doubt:
Sometimes they thought he might be only shewn,
And for a time caught up to God, as once
15
Moses was in the Mount, and missing long;
And the great Thisbite1 who on fiery wheels
Rode up to Heav’n, yet once again to come.
Therefore as those young Prophets then with care
Sought lost Eliah, so in each place these
20
Nigh to Bethabara; in Jerico
The City of Palms, Ænon, and Salem Old,
Machærus and each Town or City wall’d
On this side the broad lake Genezaret,
Or in Perea, but return’d in vain.
25
Then on the bank of Jordan, by a Creek:
Where winds with Reeds, and Osiers whisp’ring play
Plain Fishermen, no greater men them call,
Close in a Cottage low together got
Thir unexpected loss and plaints out breath’d.
30
Alas, from what high hope to what relapse
Unlook’d for are we fall’n, our eyes beheld
Messiah certainly now come, so long
Expected of our Fathers; we have heard
His words, his wisdom full of grace and truth,
35
Now, now, for sure, deliverance is at hand,
The Kingdom shall to Israel be restor’d:
Thus we rejoyc’d, but soon our joy is turn’d
Into perplexity and new amaze:
For whither is he gone, what accident
40
Hath rapt him from us? will he now retire
After appearance, and again prolong
Our expectation? God of Israel,
Send thy Messiah forth, the time is come;
Behold the Kings of th’ Earth how they oppress
45
Thy chosen, to what highth thir pow’r unjust
They have exalted, and behind them cast
All fear of thee, arise and vindicate
Thy Glory, free thy people from thir yoke,
But let us wait; thus far he hath perform’d,
50
Sent his Anointed, and to us reveal’d him,
By his great Prophet, pointed at and shown,
In publick, and with him we have convers’d;
Let us be glad of this, and all our fears
Lay on his Providence; he will not fail
55
Nor will withdraw him now, nor will recall,
Mock us with his blest sight, then snatch him hence,
Soon we shall see our hope, our joy return.
Thus they out of their plaints new hope resume
To find whom at the first they found unsought:
60
But to his Mother Mary, when she saw
Others return’d from Baptism, not her Son,
Nor left at Jordan, tidings of him none;
Within her brest, though calm; her brest though pure,
Motherly cares and fears got head, and rais’d
65
Some troubl’d thoughts, which she in sighs thus clad.
O what avails me now that honour high
To have conceiv’d of God, or that salute,2
Hail highly favour’d, among women blest;
While I to sorrows am no less advanc’t,
70
And fears as eminent, above the lot
Of other women, by the birth I bore,
In such a season born when scarce a Shed
Could be obtain’d to shelter him or me
From the bleak air; a Stable was our warmth,
75
A Manger his, yet soon enforc’t to fly
Thence into Egypt, till the Murd’rous King3
Were dead, who sought his life, and missing fill’d
With Infant blood the streets of Bethlehem;
From Egypt home return’d, in Nazareth
80
Hath been our dwelling many years, his life
Private, unactive, calm, contemplative,
Little suspicious t’ any King; but now
Full grown to Man, acknowledg’d, as I hear,
By John the Baptist, and in publick shown,
85
Son own’d from Heav’n by his Father’s voice;
I look’t for some great change; to Honour? no,
But trouble, as old Simeon plain fore-told,4
That to the fall and rising he should be
Of many in Israel, and to a sign
90
Spoken against, that through my very Soul
A sword shall pierce, this is my favour’d lot,
My Exaltation to Afflictions high;
Afflicted I may be, it seems, and blest;
I will not argue that, nor will repine.
95
But where delays he now? some great intent
Conceals him: when twelve years he scarce had seen,
I lost him, but so found, as well I saw
He could not lose himself; but went about
His Father’s business;5 what he meant I mus’d,
100
Since understand; much more his absence now
Thus long to some great purpose he obscures.
But I to wait with patience am inur’d;
My heart hath been a store-house long of things
And sayings laid up, portending strange events.
105
Thus Mary pondering oft, and oft to mind
Recalling what remarkably had pass’d
Since first her Salu
tation heard, with thoughts
Meekly compos’d awaited the fulfilling:
The while her Son tracing the Desert wild,
110
Sole but with holiest Meditations fed,
Into himself descended, and at once
All his great work to come before him set;
How to begin, how to accomplish best
His end of being on Earth, and mission high:
115
For Satan with sly preface to return
Had left him vacant, and with speed was gon
Up to the middle Region of thick Air,
Where all his Potentates in Council sate;
There without sign of boast, or sign of joy,
120
Sollicitous and blank6 he thus began.
Princes, Heav’ns antient Sons, Æthereal Thrones,
Demonian Spirits now, from the Element
Each of his reign allotted, rightlier call’d,
Powers of Fire, Air, Water, and Earth beneath,
125
So may we hold our place and these mild seats
Without new trouble; such an Enemy
Is ris’n to invade us, who no less
Threat’ns then our expulsion down to Hell;
I, as I undertook, and with the vote
130
Consenting in full frequence7 was impower’d,
Have found him, view’d him, tasted8 him, but find
Far other labour to be undergon
Then when I dealt with Adam first of Men,
Though Adam by his Wives allurement fell,
135
However to this Man inferior far,
If he be Man by Mothers side at least,
With more then human gifts from Heav’n adorn’d,
Perfections absolute, Graces divine,
And amplitude of mind to greatest Deeds.
140
Therefore I am return’d, lest confidence
Of my success with Eve in Paradise
Deceive ye to perswasion over-sure
Of like succeeding here; I summon all
Rather to be in readiness, with hand
145
Or counsel to assist; lest I who erst
Thought none my equal, now be over-match’d.
So spake th’ old Serpent doubting, and from all
With clamour was assur’d thir utmost aid
At his command; when from amidst them rose
150
Belial9 the dissolutest Spirit that fell,
The sensuallest, and after Asmodai10
The fleshliest Incubus,11 and thus advis’d.
Set women in his eye and in his walk,
Among daughters of men the fairest found;
155
Many are in each Region passing fair
As the noon Skie; more like to Goddesses
Then Mortal Creatures, graceful and discreet,
Expert in amorous Arts, enchanting tongues
Perswasive, Virgin majesty with mild
160
And sweet allay’d, yet terrible to approach,
Skill’d to retire, and in retiring draw
Hearts after them tangl’d in Amorous Nets.
Such object hath the power to soft’n and tame
Severest temper,12 smooth the rugged’st brow,
165
Enerve, and with voluptuous hope dissolve,
Draw out with credulous desire, and lead
At will the manliest, resolutest brest,
As the Magnetic13 hardest Iron draws.
Women, when nothing else, beguil’d the heart
170
Of wisest Solomon, and made him build,
And made him bow to the Gods of his Wives.14
To whom quick answer Satan thus return’d.
Belial, in much uneven scale thou weigh’st
All others by thy self; because of old
175
Thou thy self doat’st on womankind, admiring
Thir shape, thir colour, and attractive grace,
None are, thou think’st, but taken with such toys.
Before the Flood thou with thy lusty Crew,
False titl’d Sons of God, roaming the Earth
180
Cast wanton eyes on the daughters of men,
And coupl’d with them, and begot a race.
Have we not seen, or by relation heard,
In Courts and Regal Chambers how thou lurk’st,
In Wood or Grove by mossie Fountain side,
185
In Valley or Green Meadow to way-lay
Some beauty rare, Calisto, Clymene,
Daphne, or Semele, Antiopa,
Or Amymone, Syrinx, many more
Too long, then lay’st thy scapes on names ador’d,
190
Apollo, Neptune, Jupiter, or Pan,
Satyr, or Faun, or Silvan? But these haunts
Delight not all; among the Sons of Men,
How many have with a smile made small account
Of beauty and her lures, easily scorn’d
195
All her assaults, on worthier things intent?
Remember that Pellean Conquerour,15
A youth, how all the Beauties of the East
He slightly view’d, and slightly over-pass’d;
How hee sirnam’d of Africa16 dismiss’d
200
In his prime youth the fair Iberian maid.
For Solomon he liv’d at ease, and full
Of honour, wealth, high fare, aim’d not beyond
Higher design then to enjoy his State;
Thence to the bait of Women lay expos’d;
205
But he whom we attempt is wiser far
Then Solomon, of more exalted mind,
Made and set wholly on th’ accomplishment
Of greatest things; what woman will you find,
Though of this Age the wonder and the fame,
210
On whom his leisure will vouchsafe an eye
Of fond desire? or should she confident,
As sitting Queen ador’d on Beauties Throne,
Descend with all her winning charms begirt
T’ enamour, as the Zone17 of Venus once
215
Wrought that effect on Jove, so Fables tell;
How would one look from his Majestick brow
Seated as on the top of Vertues hill,18
Discount’nance her despis’d, and put to rout
All her array; her female pride deject,
220
Or turn to reverent awe? for Beauty stands
In th’ admiration only of weak minds
Led captive; cease t’ admire, and all her Plumes
Fall flat and shrink into a trivial toy,
At every sudden slighting quite abasht:
225
Therefore with manlier objects we must try
His constancy, with such as have more shew
Of worth, of honour, glory, and popular praise;
Rocks whereon greatest men have oftest wreck’d;
Or that which only seems to satisfie
230
Lawful desires of Nature, not beyond;
And now I know he hungers where no food
Is to be found, in the wide Wilderness;
The rest commit to me, I shall let pass
No advantage, and his strength as oft assay.
235
He ceas’d, and heard thir grant in loud acclaim;
Then forthwith to him takes a chosen band
Of Spirits likest to himself in guile
To be at hand, and at his beck appear,
If cause were to unfold some active Scene
240
Of various persons each to know his part;
Then to the Desert takes with these his flight;
Where still from shade to shade the Son of God
After forty days fasting had remain’d,
Now hungr
ing first, and to himself thus said.
245
Where will this end? four times ten days I have pass’d
Wandring this woody maze, and human food
Nor tasted, nor had appetite; that Fast
To Vertue I impute not, or count part
Of what I suffer here; if Nature need not,
250
Or God support Nature without repast
Though needing, what praise is it to endure?
But now I feel I hunger, which declares,
Nature hath need of what she asks; yet God
Can satisfie that need some other way,
255
Though hunger still remain: so it remain
Without this bodies wasting, I content me,
And from the sting of Famine fear no harm,
Nor mind it, fed with better thoughts that feed
Mee hungring more to do my Fathers will.
260
It was the hour of night, when thus the Son
Commun’d in silent walk, then laid him down
Under the hospitable covert nigh
Of Trees thick interwoven; there he slept,
And dream’d, as appetite is wont to dream,
265
Of meats and drinks, Natures refreshment sweet;
Him thought,19 he by the Brook of Cherith stood
And saw the Ravens with their horny beaks
Food to Elijah bringing Even and Morn,
Though ravenous, taught t’ abstain from what they brought:
270
He saw the Prophet also how he fled
Into the Desert, and how there he slept
Under a Juniper; then how awak’t,
He found his Supper on the coals prepar’d,
And by the Angel was bid rise and eat,
275
And eat the second time after repose,
The strength whereof suffic’d him forty days;
Sometimes that with Elijah he partook,
Or as a guest with Daniel at his pulse.20
Thus wore out night, and now the Herald Lark
280
Left his ground-nest, high towring to descry
The morns approach, and greet her with his Song: